Going Through The Motions
by faded grace
Summary: Claire is tired and sick of living a sheltered life. She decides to take off when Peter introduces her to someone even that will change her perspective on life forever. Takes place 4 months after the bomb and will probably have spoilers from season one.
1. Chapter 1

**G O I N G T H R O U G H T H E M O T I O N S**

**_A/N o7.o7.o7_ My computer screwed up and accidentally put chapter two in the chapter one spot for a second there and there were two chapter twos in one story which completely didn't make any sense if you haven't read chapter one. Haha, that was probably confusing there but I fixed it. Sorry if this caused any confusion for new readers but THIS story contains more than one chapter (this chapter being the _FIRST_ one)**

**Disclaimer: I only own the new character and her family. The rest belong to Tim Kring and his bunch.**

**A/N: This is my first fic, at least in a while. Please R&R… reviews would be nice and of course would be a main reason why I would continue this story ;) Cos of people aren't enjoying it, I can't continue it lol. So please R&R! Constructive criticism isn't minded either so please let the suggestions fly lol.**

**\ c h a p t e r o n e \**

She sighed as she felt her blonde ringlets skim her neck and fall down her back. Claire Bennet swung the scrunchie into it's box with all her other hair accessories that sat on her vanity. This wasn't… home. She took a long look at herself in the mirror and breathed in deeply. A sudden knock at the door startled her and she jumped a little in her seat as the door opened. Peter walked in and she slowly caught her breath.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" he smiled apologetically.

Claire shook her head in response and looked away. She took one final look at herself in the mirror before turning around and plopping down on her bed cautiously. Peter closed the door behind him and sat down next to her slowly. He smiled at her again reassuringly.

"Everything's going to be fine, Claire…"

"I know, I know, I'm 'safe.'" She rolled her eyes. "I thought this was all over." It had been four months since they saved New York so why was she still here? She missed her daddy, not Nathan but Noah… Bennet. She still kept her last name not entirely sure she wanted to become a Petrelli just yet or that her real father wanted her to become one for that matter. She sighed again, thinking about her dad… the one that loved her, the one that protected her. She buried her head in her hands, aching to be with her warm, loving family—her real family.

Peter, reading all of these thoughts as they ran through her head, wrapped his arms around her tightly. She closed her eyes in his embrace, trying to hold back her emotions as he started rubbing her back calmingly.

"You're gonna see them again," he added, "I promise."

All Claire could do was nod numbly and try her best to gulp back her tears.

"There are still people here looking for you and your father would lead them right to you. It's all for the best, Claire."

"I am more than capable of protecting myself, Peter." She mumbled while slowly pushing him away."

"Oh trust me, I have no doubt in that." Peter chuckled. "But the situation's… complicated. Other people could easily get involved and hurt—not to mention innocent people—if people haven't gotten in too deep already." He got up off of her bed and looked down at her as she avoided his gaze. "You have your _real_ father her anyhow."

Claire let out a dry laugh. Things hadn't changed much since the Petrelli boys made their miraculous return and Claire wasn't about to get her hopes up. "Sure," she plainly replied to Peter's statement.

"Look, Nathan'll warm up." He started to rub the back of his neck, frustrated that even after so many months living in the same household and after the election they both of them still couldn't even manage to get through a genuine conversation with each other. "He's proved he's not such a bad guy in the past. He's not completely hardened into a statue or a piece of stone or anything, ya know?"

"He… I just… I dunno. He's not _my_ father. It's just not the same Peter." Claire got up and walked to the window. She felt a small smile slowly creep up her face as she looked up at the sky and started to think.

Her thoughts were quickly dispersed however as more knocks erupted on her bedroom door. Claire didn't even bother in trying to tell whoever it was that she was in the middle of a more or less meaningful conversation with Peter. The person, whichever other Petrelli it was, would have made their way in anyhow. They weren't exactly known as the most polite people—with the exception of Peter of course. A frown gradually made its way to her face when she saw who walked in. She turned away quickly before his gaze caught hers.

"I'd like to talk to my daughter alone," Claire heard. His voice was familiar to her as cold, hard, empty.

She cringed at the word "daughter" referring to herself when it came out of his mouth. She heard Peter walk out of her room and the door shut behind him but still didn't move by her position by the window.

"Can I help you with something, Nathan?" Claire coldly asked, still firmly planted on the floor where she stood before as her so called "father" made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed.

"Isn't it time you started calling me Dad?" Nathan rubbed his face, also exasperated with the complicated situation just standing there in front of him.

Letting out another dry laugh, which Claire tended to do at anything related to or having to do with Nathan, she finally turned around and faced him. "Dad, huh? You've been anything but." She shook her head, glaring at him coldly before starting to walk to the other side of her room and leaning on her closet door. She never lost her locked gaze on him.

"I'm trying, Claire…" he spoke gently, almost as if what just came out of his mouth also came out from his heart.

Claire quickly diverted her gaze from his eyes as he said this, afraid the real emotion in his eyes would let her easy/quick-to-give-in feelings get the best of her. "So try harder." She simply stated, now staring at her feet.

"I've been busy with work." Nathan tried to reason with her patiently. He wanted to get to know his daughter but the steel walls she kept up wasn't making it any easier.

"Yet you still have time for you other children—you're LEGIT children."

"Claire…"

"Don't even."

"But—"

"You've already practically disowned me, _father_. Just leave before you end up getting me, let alone OUR, hopes up and crush them like always."

"This was got to stop, Claire. It's not fair." Nathan groaned. He too (along with Peter, Heidi, and about everyone else and their flipping mother) was ready to move on past this estranged relationship they had.

"You're right, _dad_," Claire said the last word with such struggle and started walking over to him, soon standing over him. "It isn't fair. So why don't you just go before this attempt for 'father-daughter bonding' turns out just as bad, maybe even worse, than all your other tries." She said this unquestioningly without a quaver in her voice. However, her eyes said something else. They knew she wanted desperately to get to know her real father. She just couldn't seem to let go of her other dad though which was completely understandable.

Nathan, oblivious to all things going on in her mind and outside of politics, couldn't even look her in the eye as she said all of this therefore completely missing the deep desire in her gaze to want to know him—the REAL him—even if that feeling was only flickered for a second on her face. He wanted to give it one more shot despite the defeat her felt in the pit of his stomach. "Claire…" was all he could manage to get out.

"We had our shot—more like _YOU_ had your shot. I suppose it was just all bad timing, with your election coming up as I popped into the picture and all." Claire hung her head, close to throwing in the towel in this fight, argument, whatever you wanted to classify it as. She reached out subconsciously for her father's hand but quickly acted like she was raising it to put a strand of hair behind her ear when Nathan swiftly got up and started marching to her bedroom door. She watched him pause before opening it to leave.

Nathan suddenly felt himself snap: "We didn't have to take you in, you know."

That statement was enough to send Claire flying through the roof in anger—that is, if she actually had that ability. "I thought you wanted to 'protect me'" she mimicked Peter's implications from the conversation they had had before her little confrontation with her "dad".

"No, that was all Peter." Nathan retorted before he could stop himself and slammed the door behind him as he walked out.

Claire was furious. Just when she thought she could get to know this man—to CARE about this man… as her own father. She felt herself fall to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably for her dad, her REAL dad. Looking out the window from the floor made her remember what she was thinking when she was stationed there. She brushed it away when Nathan came knocking as a stupid idea. Now, however, it didn't seem like too bad of an alternative with the effects of the eruption of emotions that just happened. She almost felt sad, then happy, then mad, and now more than anything… determined. Claire packed as many extra clothes she could fit into a random drawstring bag she picked up from her closet, grabbed her purse, and opened her window. It was a long way down but she's survived worse. She quickly turned off all of her lights, closed all of her cabinets and drawers, made sure her bed was made nicely and climbed out the window. Closing it behind her, she perched herself on the edge of the roof that was now the only thing that kept her from falling to the ground.

_Breathe, Claire,_ she told herself and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she jumped and hit the ground with less pain than had usually been inflicted upon her when she fell from buildings. That's what she thought when she picked herself up and looked back at the Petrelli mansion. It wasn't her home, it was just another building she lived in. She turned away from it and started walking. First it was a casual, inconspicuous walk, but then it got faster and eventually became a run.

She looked down at her watch and it read: _11:28_. _So it isn't THAT late…_ she thought. A presence suddenly dawned upon her and Claire realized she wasn't alone. Thinking about it more made her scared and her fright made her run faster. All of a sudden, she felt herself bump into something—no, make that _someone_.

"Oof," Claire grunted as she fell on top of this person. "Sorry, I should've looked where I was…" She trailed off as she got up and looked at the person's face. "… Peter? What the hell are you doing?"

"You need to go home," he scolded as he stood up.

"How did you… I thought… I was running so fast…" Claire's mind was running in circles now in confusion.

"I can fly." Peter smirked.

"You cheated," she scowled. "How did you know I was doing this anyway?"

"I may have picked up an ability to read people's minds somewhere…"

"AUGH. GET OUT OF MY HEAD." Claire groaned. She started walking away from him but not towards the Petrelli mansion.

"No." Peter said firmly, grabbing her by the arm and whipping her around to face him. He was clearly the stronger one in this picture and her attempts to wriggle herself away reigned unsuccessful. "Do you even realize how much danger you're in right _now_?!" he hissed. "Come on, my apartment's not too far from here." He pulled her a couple blocks to his apartment building but suddenly Claire wouldn't budge. She managed to pull herself out of his grip and started running again.

"CLAIRE!" Peter yelled after her. He hovered off of the ground, flying after her—literally. He caught her shoulders and gripped her arms once more, lifting her off of the ground. "You could get into some serious shit you don't want to get yourself into, Claire!"

"So maybe I do!" Claire screamed, turning herself around and clinging to Peter for dear life. "I don't want to be sheltered anymore! I'm not fine with living in this fantasy world where everything is centered around ME. It's not okay."

"Do you want to know the reality?!" He yelled down to her once more, wrapping his arms around her tightly to make sure she didn't fall as they made their way through the New York night sky.

"YES. I want to know what is REALLY going on!" Claire sighed. "I don't want to be kept in the dark anymore!"

She felt herself and Peter lowering down to the ground but his grip on her wouldn't give. She looked around and found the both of them standing in front of a bar.

"What does this have to do with 'reality'?" Claire looked up at Peter.

"Look inside the window." Peter simply said.

There they saw a girl wiping down tables and putting empty beer bottles and glasses into a small gray tub. She had auburn hair and she was wearing all black. _The uniform perhaps,_ Claire noted. She was wearing simple flip-flops and her hair was swept up into a ponytail. Claire looked up at Peter again. "Again, what does this have to do with 'reality'?"

"Her name is Anna, Anna Rae Hutcherson." Peter looked down at her in all seriousness. "She's almost 15."

"What is she doing at a bar then? Isn't she underage?"

"She has 2 brothers, 2 nephews, and 1 niece." Peter informed her.

"Okay, and…?"

"And she takes care of all of them. By herself."

"Is this supposed to be some lesson for me? 'Cause if I'm supposed to be learning about responsibility, lemme just tell you that I've already been down this ro—."

Peter interrupted. "Her parents, her elder sister, and her aunt and uncle… they all died for _you_."


	2. Chapter 2

**G O I N G T H R O U G H T H E M O T I O N S**

**_A/N o7.o7.o7_ My computer screwed up and accidentally put chapter two in the chapter one spot for a second there and there were two chapter twos in one story which completely didn't make any sense if you haven't read chapter one. Haha, that was probably confusing there but I fixed it. Sorry if this caused any confusion for new readers but THIS story contains more than one chapter (this chapter being the _SECOND_ one)**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Keep 'em coming if you all still want more!**

**Summary: Takes place 4 months after the bomb explodes. Claire is tired of having to live a sheltered life and just wants to be free, unaware of the consequences that will come with being liberated from her "family". Peter introduces her to a girl who has struggled with the pain of tragedy and loss all because of her. Little do they know, the girl is hiding a secret of her own.**

**:: Peter no longer has his emo hair, PS ;'[ As we all know, he has cut it and in my opinion it's very becoming of him D So seeing as this would be "Season 2" were it on TV and Peter is no longer with his famous bangs in reality, I saw it only appropriate that the Peter in my story would be the same. I happen to adore his new haircut ;)**

**:: This ideally would be "Season 2"**

**:: So yes, it does take place 4 months after the bomb and Claire is living with her biological father, Nathan Petrelli [which will all be explained in later chapters.**

**++ DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the new girl and her family.**

**\ c h a p t e r t w o \**

Anna Rae Hutcherson walked over to a newly occupied table to take the customers' orders. She sighed as she made her way over. How long should she have to work at this place? Wasn't this illegal anyway? She was only 14 and she was serving alcohol. She quickly shook off all of these thoughts when she saw a familiar face sitting at the table.

"Peter?"

"Hey Rae." He smiled gently.

_So, he does remember… _she thought. Nobody really ever called her "Anna"—nobody except her family. They called her Anna Banana most of the time. Her parents made up the nickname for her, that is, when they were still alive. _Something's different about Peter. _She thought to herself.

"Haircut." He nodded, reading her thoughts. "I got a haircut."

"I thought you looked different." She smiled. Her attention shifted to the blonde sitting next to him whom she realized couldn't be only but a bit older than she was herself. "What are you doing her at this hour?"

"Well can't a man enjoy a drink at his own leisure?" he replied smoothly, laughing softly at how out of character he just sounded. Rae smiled to herself, secretly loving it when he did that. "I also wanted to check up on you," he added quickly.

"What? I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me," she shook her head, glancing at the blonde girl again. "What can I get for you and your… friend?"

"I'll take a beer—light. And my friend here'll just have a water with lemon." He nodded. "How's the rest of the family?" he asked as she took down their orders.

"They're good. They're at a sleepover right now otherwise I wouldn't be here." She laughed awkwardly. "Can I get you anything to eat—nachos, anything?" Rae now noticed the blonde suddenly look down almost in guilt.

"Nah, we're okay. You ever need anyone to watch the kids you call me, okay?" Peter told her.

"I'll keep that in mind." Rae smiled thankfully at him before turning around.

"Hey, Rae?!" Peter called after her.

"Yah?" She turned back around and started walking towards them again.

"I almost forgot to introduce you to my friend. This is Claire, Claire Bennet." He motioned to the blonde girl who now looked up slowly. "Claire, this is Anna Rae Hutcherson."

Rae froze momentarily at the blondie's last name and held her hand out. Claire took it and the shook hands briefly.

"Nice to meet you Anna." Claire said softly, offering a small smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Claire Bennet… and please, call me Rae." She responded with a forced cheesy smile through gritted teeth and walked away quickly.

* * *

Claire looked at Peter as Raw walked towards the bar. 

"Did you bring me here to guilt trip me?"

"No. You wanted reality I'm giving you reality. This is serious, Claire."

"I think I've had enough reality for now…" Claire groaned, scooting closer to Peter and resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking it all in. This girl looked so… old—not in a bad way like wrinkles or anything, but just aged and wise above her years. She had been through so much, her eyes looked distracted, as if she was still hurting. Claire couldn't blame her. She probably wouldn't have taken this situation any better. How could she, herself, Claire Bennet, be the reason and cause for so much pain? It was all her fault. She wished she was never born if this was supposed to be her purpose in life: to cause devastation and loss to so many other people. _Too bad I can't die…_ Claire thought.

Peter put an arm around her and frowned at her thought. "Not everything bad that happens in this world is your fault," he reassured her. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he watched her, her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed… she almost looked peaceful. Peter, however, knew that the last place she was at in her mind was peace.

"I know, Peter…" she spoke in a gentle voice and slowly opened her eyes. "Right now I just feel as if the weight of the world is on my shoulders."

"And that's what I'm here for her." Peter's smile grew and he kissed her forehead.

* * *

Rae stormed into the bar, grabbing the first beer she saw (clearly caring less about whether it was light beer or not) and got a cup to go with it. _Oh, he might want some limes… if he wants limes, I'll give him limes._ She thought as she picked up a handful of limes and slammed them into Peter's beer cup. _How dare he bring __**her**__ here,_ Rae went on. She poured Claire's cup of water and set it on her tray, then thought about it for a second. _Psh, they don't need a tray—no, they don't __**deserve**__ a tray. They don't deserve ANYTHING._ She angrily pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and shook her auburn tresses out. She walked over to the small mirror on the wall and looked at herself, analyzing her features a little _too_ critically. Her eyes had lost any feeling they had in them when part of her family died. It made her come off as cold and insensitive. Her sister's death was devastating to her, seeing as they were super close and whatnot, but her father's death affected her most of all. She took out a tube of nude pink lip gloss and reapplied some onto her lips, running her hand through her smooth, wavy brunette locks. 

Once satisfied with her appearance, she walked to the tray where the drinks were set. The beer was almost at room temperature already and the ice in the water was half-melted. She let out a deep sigh and replaced both the beer and the cup of water. _What did he bring her here for? To remind me of what I lost?_ Rae quickly snapped out of it was she felt her eyes welling up with tears. She picked up the tray and made her way over to Peter and Claire's table once more.

* * *

Claire watched as Rae walked back over to their table with their drinks, clearly unaware of how much time had passed that she took to get just TWO drinks. She was distracted from her conversation with Peter. 

Rae could hardly pass for 14. She piled on so much make up—no to the point of looking like a clown but just enough to pass for 18, maybe even over 20. _She's tall enough to be in her 20s, _Claire thought but then looked at her shoes. _Oh, it's just the heels on her boots. Hey, those boots are really cute actually…_

Peter had to let out a laugh at that one. Claire looked at him, quickly realizing why he was laughing. She slapped him playfully.

"You really need to stop doing that." Claire said as her cheeks started turning a pale shade of pink.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He flashed her a smile and Claire sighed, knowing she couldn't resist.

"Just promise to stay out of my head, okay?"

"Fine," Peter promised as Rae finally reached their table. She slammed their drinks down and flashed an obvious faked smile. "Damn, Rae, you think I can get anymore limes?" he joked when he saw the beer cup filled practically to the brim with limes.

"Anything else I can get you?" she asked, ignoring Peter's previous remark.

Peter felt his stomach grumble and knew Claire heard by the smile growing on her face as she suppressed a giggle. She quickly regained her composure.

"Yah, Pete, I'm hungry too." She nodded with a smirk.

Rae desperately wanted to roll her eyes but had to be nice for her _costumers_.

"So the nachos you mentioned earlier are sounding pretty good right about now." Peter grinned.

_Why must he smile like that?_ Rae thought, groaning inwardly at that trademark left-hooked smile. "Nachos, coming right up." She hurriedly walked back to the bar and into the back kitchen, leaning against the door and letting the aromas of all the food relax her. _So chicken winks are sounding good right about now…_She sighed and stole a freshly cooked wing, popping it into her mouth conveniently and chewing the meat off of the bone. She smiled in relief when she found newly prepared nachos all ready to go for her to just pick up and serve. She finished off her chicken wing, grabbed the first nachos basket she saw, and went back over to _their_ table, propping the food down and rushing away to other customers before they could say anything else.

"Someone's in a hurry," Claire stated as she popped a cheesy nacho in her mouth, then realizing why Rae was in such a rush to get away from their table. She sighed to herself quietly, eating more nachos to cover it up.

"Duty calls." Peter smiled, digging into the food himself. "Anyway, why'd you make me promise not to invade your thoughts anymore? It's not like they were bad or anything."

Claire almost choked on the nacho in her mouth and downed half of her water in order to stop herself before she threw up or something. "It's an invasion of privacy," She merely stated as she reached for another nacho.

"Uh-huh…" Peter smirked, eyeing her suspiciously. '_Trust me, you don't even realize how controversial it would be if you were constantly reading my mind—especially around you_…' Peter heard her think. He looked at her in confusion and shook his head, trying to make sense of what he just heard.

Munching on more nachos, Claire felt a pair of eyes burning holes into the back of her head. She whipped her head around to find Peter staring at her. "What? Am I stuffing my face too much or something? 'Cause I really don't understand why every girl and their frickin mom is so worried about their weight and you aren't really helping my theory by looking at me like I'm eating too much. I mean seriously, just eat in moderation. Diets suck. Exercise, you know? And build some inner-confi—" she stopped her rambling as she realized why he was looking at her so curiously. "Dammit, PETER." Claire cried, hitting his arm just a tad harder than how she hit him before. "You promised to stay out of my head!"

Peter looked at her laughing it off innocently. "I AM out of your head, Claire. I think you're beginning to get paranoid." He nodded.

"… I am not being paranoid," she shook her head as he flashed a small smile. "Fine," she rolled her eyes, irresistibly smiling back. "I believe you."

"There you go!" Peter chuckled, scratching his short haired head, still thinking about what she could possible mean by '_especially around you'_.

* * *

Rae eyed her no longer emo haired friend and his blonde beauty. She couldn't blame him for hanging around her so much. Claire was beautiful after all. They were having so much fun over there. _Damn them, _she thought as she scribbled down the customer's orders: 1 cosmo, 1 peach bellini, and 1 margarita.

Rae smiled at the three ladies she was serving. "You orders will be out in a bit." She nodded, heading back to the bar.

Sighing heavily, Rae grabbed the glasses she needed for the three drinks and started off with the margarita. She rubbed a lime wedge around the rim and dipped it in salt. As she finished it up she started on the other two and soon found herself walking back to the women's table. She was getting the hang of this. Rae smiled to herself while she served the ladies their drinks.

"Anything else I can get you three lovely ladies?" She grinned when she saw them enjoying their drinks.

"No, I think we're fine." The one with the cosmo nodded. "These are amazing! We might need a couple more rounds." She joked, laughing softly.

"I'll be sure to check up on you ladies regularly then!" Rae joked back, slowly turning around. She walked back to the bar and grabbed a cup of water, chugging it down almost instantly.

"You're getting really good at this."

Rae turned around and found Tony, the _real_ bartender, looking straight at her with a big approving smile on his face.

"Yeah, you better watch your back." She smirked.

"Now, now, Anna Rae Hutcherson!" he laughed. "Watch your head. I think it's getting so big you won't be able to fit through the door anymore."

Rae laughed. "I won't let it blow up that big, I swear."

Tony caught her attention straying elsewhere as the smile on her face quickly faded. He followed her gaze to Peter and Claire's table. "Who are they?"

"Oh, no one." Rae shook her head.

"You seem very _jumpy_ for them to be _no one_, but hey, who am I to judge?" Tony went back to work as more people made their way over to the bar. Rae smiled as she watched him make people's drinks in record time. His theory was that people don't go to a bar for theatrics; they just want to get wasted. She found herself chuckling at that thought and looked back at Peter and Claire—so happy… why couldn't she be like them?

_They probably need refills,_ she mumbled, grabbing the pitcher of water and another beer. She started walking over to their table, trying to keep herself from snapping. The next thing she knew the beer went flying and crashed onto the floor, breaking into a million pieces and the beer inside spilling everywhere, and the pitcher of water fell back onto her, drenching her clothes. She immediately started picking up, ignoring the sopping wet clothes she had on.

"Dammit, I'm sorry—I'm so clumsy. I really need to watch what I'm do—" she glanced up at the man she bumped into, eyes widening slightly by the minute.

"Nathan?!" Peter and Claire muttered at the same time under their breath.

"Mr. Petrelli…" Rae caught herself whispering softly, her eyes still on the also drenched politician.

"Hey Anna Rae, sorry I messed up your clothes." Nathan Petrelli apologized, smiling his famous "Vote for Petrelli!" smile, except this time, there looked to actually be meaning behind his smile.

**A/N: Keep those reviews coming! You know how much I love them ;'D**


	3. Chapter 3

**G O I N G T H R O U G H T H E M O T I O N S**

_**A/N o7.o9.o7**_**: Sorry for the temporary screw-up the last time I updated ahaha. I'm trying to be more careful teehee. To those Paire fans, I want you to know that I ****AM**** thinking about coupling those two but nothing's permanent yet. As much as I want them together, I still think it's weird that they are related lol so I still need a bit more time to get used to that little issue there. Keep on reading though, I may slip in a little Paire here and there x**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Keep 'em coming if you all still want more!**

**Summary: Takes place 4 months after the bomb explodes. Claire is tired of having to live a sheltered life and just wants to be free, unaware of the consequences that will come with being liberated from her "family". Peter introduces her to a girl who has struggled with the pain of tragedy and loss all because of her. Little do they know, the girl is hiding a secret of her own.**

**:: Peter no longer has his emo hair, PS ;'[ As we all know, he has cut it and in my opinion it's very becoming of him D So seeing as this would be "Season 2" were it on TV and Peter is no longer with his famous bangs in reality, I saw it only appropriate that the Peter in my story would be the same. I happen to adore his new haircut ;)**

**:: This ideally would be "Season 2"**

**:: So yes, it does take place 4 months after the bomb and Claire is living with her biological father, Nathan Petrelli (which will all be explained in later chapters).**

**++ DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the new girl and her family.**

**A/N o7.o9.o7: ONE MORE THING... happy birthday, Milo Ventimiglia ;) I wanted to update yesterday on his birthday but this chapter came together in the wee hours of the morning the day AFTER lol so here it is.**

**\ c h a p t e r t h r e e \**

Rae couldn't help but giggle at the disheveled appearance of Nathan Petrelli. She now noticed his clothes, sopping wet as were her own, were now sticking to his skin. "Oh, your clothes, sir…"

"Don't worry about it, AnnieRae. It's raining cats and dogs outside anyway."

Rae smiled. Only Nathan could get away with calling her by her first name, not to mention both her first and middle name. She looked outside the window, just now realizing how hard it was pouring. Nathan noticed the surprised look on her face when she saw it storming.

"What, you couldn't tell it was raining?" he asked blatantly, shaking off some of the access water on his clothes off, totally unaware of the light shower he was giving Rae while doing so.

"Well, let's just say I've been… distracted," she mumbled, glaring at Peter and Claire momentarily. "How about I get you a drink? On the house." She nodded.

"Well I'll have a scotch then." Nathan ordered as he made his way into the round booth Claire and Peter were sharing.

Claire turned away from him nervously to look at Peter, pleading for a way out. Peter just smiled; reassuring her everything was going to be fine. Rae soon returned with Nathan's drink, breaking the awkward silence that seemed to be hovering over the three of them."

"Here's your drink sir." Rae smiled a bit and looked down, clearly intimidated.

"AnnaRae, I've known you for how long and you're still calling me sir?" Nathan chuckled as he took a swig of his drink.

_4 months_, Rae thought, _we've only known each other for four months._ "Sorry sir—I mean, Mr. Petrelli." She turned around quickly, desperately wanting to shoot herself.

"Why don't you join us?" Rae heard Nathan call after her. She shut her eyes for a second, hoping he was talking to someone else, waiting for that someone else to respond. Then she realized it was her—he was talking to her.

"Oh, no," she shook her head, 'I can't right now, I have work."

_Someone just kill me now! I promise I'll be a good dead person, I swear! _She sighed, turning back around to walk towards the bar again.

"You're shift's been over for close to an hour now!" she heard Tony call out, making sure that practically the whole world heard him. Nathan and Peter smiled at her and now she knew she was in for it. Struggling to keep in a heavy sigh, she climbed into the booth next to Nathan, catching a hint of worry on Claire's face.

Rae shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "So…"

"Sorry we aren't more entertaining." Peter smiled. "Our family's going through a few…" he trailed off, looking away quickly.

"Issues." Nathan finished for him matter-of-factly.

Rae eyed the other three occupants sitting at the table. _So when they say family, do they mean Claire too? _She thought, glancing curiously at the only other female sitting at the table.

Peter, noticing the puzzled look on Rae's face, tried to get into her head and read her thoughts. He quickly found himself with a temporary headache. _What the crap… my powers don't work on her… _he thought, then realizing he had drawn this conclusion after only using ONE of his many powers he had absorbed. He tried to telekinetically move his beer cup up but again, found his head momentarily throbbing. He looked at Rae, also with confusion, and tried to figure out what was going on. She caught he glance once or twice and looked away, tapping her foot nervously faster each time, unaware that her leg was resting against Peter's.

Another wave of awkward silence swept over their table, each sneaking glances at one another, trying to think of something smart to say. A loud boom of thunder suddenly snapped them all of it, startling Rae. Peter rested his hand on Rae's leg from under the table, stopping her leg from shaking but making her nervousness all the more worse. Her breathing rapidly became unsteady so she quietly excused her self from the table, murmuring something about getting a drink.

Nathan, not wanting to just sit there in silence anymore, quickly found something to talk about—well, more like _inquire_ about. It was the reason he was there in the first place. Why he hadn't brought it up when he first got there, he wasn't completely sure. He got… distracted. "So why are you here, Claire?" he asked slowly, turning to his daughter while trying to remain calm.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing," Claire muttered back, avoiding his stare.

"I'm here because you're here," was Nathan's reasoning. "You can't just run off like that! You scared me to death! Almost gave me a heart attack…" he sighed, taking another long sip of scotch.

It took all Claire could muster to suppress a sarcastic snort or a dry laugh. "Right," was the best thing she could say without having either of the Petrelli boys snap at her. _You were just worried a photographer might find me and make up a story…_ she thought.

Peter looked between the two of them, shaking his head. _They just can't get along…_

"You hardly give a damn about me." Claire stated coldly, tracing the rim of her cup with her finger.

"Claire." Peter looked at her and said every word that cam out of his mouth with an authoritative tone, something new to both Nathan and Claire. "Listen to him. He is your dad."

Now Claire couldn't help but laugh humorlessly at that one. She always did that when someone would make a remark about how Nathan was her father and whatnot. She almost felt offended by Peter's words but knew better than to say anything. Thankfully, as if on cue, Rae had returned with a drink not only for herself but also for everyone else. She slid Peter another beer, Claire another water, Nathan another scotch, and for herself: a mug of coffee.

"Isn't it a little early for you to be having coffee?" Nathan asked, watching Rae drink half the mug in about 2.5 seconds.

Rae looked down at her watch. "It's 1:17, I think I'm good." She nodded, sipping more of her coffee. Peter and Claire laughed softly at her innocence. She was young, still naïve. Even Nathan smiled a little.

"No, I mean aren't you a little young to be downing that drug in like two minutes?" Nathan chuckled softly, watching Rea look between him and her beloved drink.

"You see, I never got to drink coffee when my parents were still alive… so now that they aren't—uh—here anymore," she swallowed hard as she said that, "I figure that if there's one rule I'm going to break, it's going to be the 'no coffee until you're of the house and on your own' one. I always snuck a frappucino from Starbucks every now and then, but I never got to drink it every day like I do now. It's better I break this rule than the promise I had with them about having sex before marriage." She blurted out bluntly.

Claire felt herself look down at her lap. Every time this girl talked about talked about her parents and her family, she felt like throwing up. _It's my fault they aren't here anymore_, she thought and sighed to herself quietly. She caught Peter (once again) settling a comforting hand on Rae's leg, which was conveniently (once again) leaning against Peter's. She raised her eyes suspiciously but kept her thoughts to herself. Peter couldn't get into them anyway and trust me when I say he was trying.

Nathan seemed to be the only one un-phased by Rae's rant about her parents and took the coffee cup from her. "I think you should respect her parents' wishes." He told her quietly and sternly. "Go get another drink, AnnieRae—one with NO caffeine, otherwise you won't be getting any sleep tonight."'

Instead of raging in protest like Claire would've done, she just smiled, grabbed the coffee cup from Nathan and headed to the bar. She slid the coffee mug over to Tony who emptied it while she grabbed herself a glass of iced tea. She stirred in a little, okay, maybe A LOT of sugar, and plopped back down next to Nathan. "Iced tea," she informed him as he nodded approvingly. That almost killed Claire. She could never have that with him and he was her own father.

Rae sipped some of her iced tea and drummed her fingers against the table nervously. Nathan caught attention of her uneasiness, unable to even imagine how hard this must be for her. She was sitting across the table from the reason why practically half of her family was dead. Against his common judgment, he cautiously took her hand into his, stroking her thumb with his gently.

Claire had to restrain her eyes from popping out of her head. Rae was even better at connecting with Nathan than she was—and not to mention for the umpteenth time that he was her own father! She clenched her fists under the table as they started to shake uncontrollably. She felt a hand grab hers and she looked to see Peter's hand taking her own, trying hard to calm her down. Claire suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. Who was she to be internally bitching at Rae? If anything, Rae should be the one glaring, the one with the shaking fists, the one about to… cry? Wait—NO. _Not here at least…_ Claire thought as Peter gently intertwined their fingers together. They both looked at each other for second and just knew. He knew he needed her and she knew she needed him; they just needed each other. They both smiled for a second, understanding what the other was thinking without having to say anything or Peter having to use psychic ability. It's not like he could use it around Rae anyway…

"_I'm going to take Rae home._" Nathan told them for the third time, looking at them oddly.

"Okay," Peter nodded quickly, watching the both of them get up. "I want to talk to Rae before you leave though." He noted the irked look on his brother's face. "It'll only be just a second, Nathan."

Rae turned around, letting go of Nathan's hand as he started for the door after laying a 50 on the table for their drinks. "Yeah?"

"Just if you need _anything_…" Peter slipped her a piece of paper discreetly.

Rae rolled her eyes playfully. "Peter, I've been taking care of me, myself, and I PLUS my five other children for the past three and a half months and we're turning out just fine," she laughed softly, bending slightly as Peter motioned for her forehead and kissed it lightly. Claire swore Rae was beaming for a minute but that was all it took for her to regain face again. She cleared her throat lightly to cover it up, glad Peter didn't seem to notice. "Bye, Peter. Oh, and it was nice to meet you, what was it, Blaire?" she smirked, heading out the door after Nathan.

"It's Claire." Claire muttered, slightly annoyed.

"Come on," Peter said getting up, pulling Claire up with him.

"Where are we going?"

"Well if you refuse to go back to the mansion you're gonna need a place to stay so I was thinking maybe my apartment? Only for tonight though, Claire."

Claire restrained a grin, trying to play it down. "Sounds like a plan."

**A/N: What will go down at Peter's apartment between the two of them? What's going to happen to Rae and Nathan? Does Rae have a power? Dun dun dunnnn... lmfao. This chapter is kinda short but I just needed to get it out quickly so you guys could understand how much actual conflict is really going on between all four of them, both internally and externally. Future chapters will be, or at least should be, longer guys. So ****review****! You know how much I love them.**


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